Growing Food In a Backyard Garden for a Year Round Harvest

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Building Pea Fences

For years I have been growing a variety of sugar snap peas that can grow to a height of 6 feet. How to support these peas is the biggest challenge I face with growing them. So this year I decided to build a new support system for the peas: “the pea fences.”

These pea fences are made from standard construction grade 2″ X 4″ that are 8 feet long. Each fence takes about 1 and a half 2 X 4s to build.

I made enough parts to build 4 fences, so all of the images below show the quantities for 4 fences.

Step 1: Select four nice, straight 2 X 4s and clamp them all together. Measure in from the top end 2″ and strike a line across all the boards, this line will be the new top of the post. Next measure in 6″ from the opposite end and strike a line, this will be the new bottom of the post. Then, layout the grooves for the horizontal supports. The spacing I chose was for the first groove to be 6″ down from the top (be sure to measure from your new top line, not the top of the 2 X 4), then 24″ between the other two grooves. Each groove will need to be 1-1/2″ wide and 3/4″ deep to accept the horizontal support.

Step 2: With all the boards still clamped together, use a router to cut all the horizontal grooves 3/4″ deep. With the spacing I chose there were three horizontal grooves to cut.

Step 3: Once all the grooves are cut, then cut the ends off each post ( the 2″ and 6″ lines from Step 1). Next rip each 2 X 4 in half lengthwise, creating 2 pieces that are approximately 1 3/4″ wide.

Step 4: To make the horizontal supports take a new 2 X 4 and cut it to a length of 48″. From the 48″ long piece rip 4 pieces each 3/4″ thick, you will be left with a little waste. Your resulting piece should be 1-1/2″ wide, 48″ long, and 3/4″ thick. You may need to rip more 48″ long pieces, depending on the number of fences you are building.

Step 5: Then cut the ends of the posts to a sharp point, this will be the end that goes into the ground.

Step 6: Sand all the individual parts to the desired finish. Then, using a waterproof wood glue (Titebond 3) and clamps, assemble the horizontal supports to the vertical posts. Allow the fences to dry for 24 hours.

Step 7: Once each fence was assembled, I applied two coats of boiled linseed oil allowing a day drying time between coats.

I placed one fence between two rows so the sugar snap peas can grow up on both sides of the fence. I will run twine between the vertical supports to help keep the sugar snap peas growing up along the fence and to give the sugar snap peas something to attach to.

Please let me know if you have any questions about building these pea fences or if you have any suggestions about supports for peas.